Anorexia Treatment – Restores Healthy Body Weight

Anorexia treatment works to restore clients to healthy body weight. The treatment also involves studying the root causes behind anorexia such as trauma, emotional triggers, self-image, and the person’s feeling of anguish and hopelessness.

• Medication – Medication with therapy is preferable to taking medication alone. Antidepressants, SSRIs, beta blockers, and anti-anxiety drugs are examples of medications that are often used in conjunction with therapy.

• Hypnosis – This therapy may be carried out along with CBT therapy and takes the patient into a state of deep relaxation. The hypnotherapist makes use of various therapeutic methods to help the patient have a more positive thought process and to courageously face his or her fears.

• DBT (Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy) – DBT combines cognitive and behavioral therapies to educate eating disorder patients on healthy methods of handling feelings by utilizing the methods of acceptance and change. Eating disorder patients work to recognize the trigger factors for disordered eating. They learn to cope with stress better by identifying a healthy distraction, involving themselves in an emotional timeout, or doing breathing or relaxation. Patients are also provided education on mindful eating.

• Family Therapy – The condition of an individual with an eating disorder can affect that individual’s family life. Family therapy may be utilized to educate the family and can provide them with skills for conflict resolution, communication and support, with which they can help their loved one who is affected by anorexia.

• Exposure Therapy – This therapy enables the patient to face their fears in a safe, controlled setting. Through a set of real/examined exposures to the fear trigger, the patient develops more control. Frequent exposures to the fear trigger cause the anxiety to diminish.

To conclude, a component of anorexia treatment is to restore healthy body weight; however, it is important to provide follow up and continued therapy lest the patient should fall into a relapse situation.

About the Author: Anorexia Treatment – Castlewood Treatment Center is a residential eating disorder treatment center in Missouri for people suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, compulsive over-eating and binge eating disorders.